Zucchini noodles have been the holy grail of ketogenic pasta dinner solutions for years and thankfully they have continued to get more delicious, not to mention more convenient. Unfortunately, making “zoodles” often takes a fancy zucchini noodle making contraption that you may or may not be able to get your hands on. Solution? Zucchini ribbons!
By using a run of the mill vegetable peeler and a little good old fashion elbow grease, you can turn the most popular summer veggie into faux pasta ribbons and impress all of your friends with your fancy cookin’ skills. What’s better than that?
Avocado walnut pesto, that’s what.
Pesto is by definition a sauce made from basil, pine nuts, and a boatload of olive oil. This recipe reduces the oil and adds a creamy texture to this already keto-friendly pasta dressing. Also, if you are anything like me and go broke buying avocados, you certainly don’t want to spend your hard earned (keto) dough on pine nuts at a whopping $9 for a small jar. ONE! Walnuts are the perfect solution and add a subtle nutty dimension to this flavorful dish.
Yields 2 servings of Zucchini Ribbons with Avocado Walnut Pesto
The Preparation
Zucchini Ribbons:
- 3 medium zucchini
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Avocado & Walnut Pesto:
- 1/2 large avocado
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 2 teaspoons fresh garlic, peeled
- 1/2 medium lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup water, if needed
Other:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, for garnish
- 1 ounce parmesan cheese
The Execution
1. Cut the zucchini into delicate ribbons with a vegetable peeler or mandolin slicer, being careful to stop peeling once you reach the seeds.
2. Place the ribbons in a colander and toss with salt. Let stand while you prepare the avocado pesto
3. Gather the avocado walnut pesto ingredients. This includes avocado, basil, walnuts, garlic, lemon, and cheese.
4. Add all ingredients into the food processor and blend until the sauce is smooth. Add water to thin the sauce as needed.
5. Grease a skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil and bring to medium heat.
6. Saute zucchini ribbons for 3-5 minutes or until they are just beginning to soften. Remove from heat.
7. Spoon pesto onto zucchini ribbons and gently toss to coat.
8. Plate in two portions of fantastically swirled vegetable ribbons. Garnish with fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese.
This makes a total of 2 servings of Zucchini Ribbons with Avocado & Walnut Pesto. Each serving comes out to be 414 calories, 32.7g fats, 10.9g net carbs, and 17.9g protein.
| NUTRITION | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | FIBER | NET CARBS | PROTEIN |
| 3 medium zucchini | 98 | 2.3 | 17.5 | 6.5 | 11 | 7.4 |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1/2 large avocado | 184 | 17 | 9.5 | 7.5 | 2 | 2.2 |
| 1 cup fresh basil | 6 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.8 |
| 1/4 cup walnuts | 170 | 17 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 4 |
| 2 teaspoon fresh garlic | 8 | 0 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 0.4 |
| 1/2 medium lemon | 12 | 0.1 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 0.5 |
| 1/4 cup parmesan cheese | 108 | 7.2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9.6 |
| 1/2 cup water | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 tablespoon olive oil | 119 | 13.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| — salt and pepper | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 tablespoon fresh basil | 1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 |
| 1 ounce parmesan cheese | 122 | 8.1 | 1.2 | 0 | 1.2 | 10.9 |
| Totals | 828 | 65.4 | 39.3 | 17.5 | 21.8 | 35.8 |
| Per Serving (/2) | 414 | 32.7 | 19.6 | 8.7 | 10.9 | 17.9 |
Zucchini Ribbons with Avocado & Walnut Pesto
Ingredients
Zucchini Ribbons:
- 3 medium zucchini
- ½ teaspoon salt
Avocado & Walnut Pesto:
- ½ large avocado
- 1 cup fresh basil
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 2 teaspoon fresh garlic peeled
- ½ medium lemon juiced
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup water if needed
Other:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil for garnish
- 1 ounce parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cut the zucchini into delicate ribbons using a vegetable peeler or mandoline, being careful to stop peeling once you reach the seeds.
- Place the ribbons in a colander and toss with salt to help draw out excess moisture. Let stand while you prepare the pesto.
- Add the avocado, basil, walnuts, garlic, lemon, and parmesan to a food processor and blend to form a smooth sauce, adding water as needed.
- Heat up the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Sauté the zucchini ribbons for 3–5 minutes or until just beginning to soften. Remove from the heat.
- Spoon the pesto over the zucchini ribbons and gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the swirled ribbons to a plate and garnish with fresh basil and grated parmesan.
